The Friends of the Jordan River Watershed Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, non-governmental organization with the mission to "Conserve the natural resources and protect the environmental quality of the Jordan River and its watershed".

Friday, February 22nd, 2013 marks one of
the darkest days in Michigan’s natural history. That was the day
Michigan’s Senate quietly passed S.B. 78 which specifically removed
“Biodiversity” from the long held stated goals and policies by which our
state has managed our public-owned natural resources. No longer will
nature, diversity of species or environmental quality be considered or
stand in the way of logging, mining or drilling for oil and gas in our
State Forests.

Few people recognize the significance or implications of this act. The
concept of “Biodiversity” is the pillar upon which conservation and
environmental protection is built. Modern science has determined that
one of the best ways to measure environmental health and quality of life
is the diversity of plant and animal species within a given community.
Biodiversity also confers biological integrity, which means that all the
necessary components are present and viable to promote ecological
health. Managing our State Forests to include biodiversity requires that
we recognize and respect those elements that provide for the rich,
balanced and diverse plant and animal communities upon which we all
depend. It also requires that we avoid those things that fragment,
pollute and destroy that delicate balance.

Following the travesties of the logging era, the citizens of Michigan
and their representatives enacted a series of laws and policies to
ensure that such a thing would never happen again. They had witnessed,
first hand, the wholesale destruction of Michigan’s virgin forests,
extinction of species and the ensuing degradation of our rivers and
streams. Clearly etched in their minds was the wasteful result of
unfettered exploitation of our shared natural resources. They declared
of “paramount importance” to; forever prevent such large scale
deforestation and degradation, protect our natural heritage for the
Common Trust and future generations and promote policies and goals which
would foster biodiversity and ecological health. The concept of
biodiversity was incorporated into our States natural resource
management policies and goals. The era of Conservation was born.

Until recent years, the conservation and management of our public lands
has been largely successful. For many years Michigan was considered a
world leader for fostering the rejuvenation of abundant public lands.
Michigan’s forests have regrown to become viable forest ecosystems with
valuable timber. They have also healed to provide the diversity of plant
and animal species as was hoped for and intended. As a result, the
waters of our streams and rivers run cleaner and faster. This
rejuvenation has also provided a vast diversity of opportunities and
uses for people who like to hunt, fish, canoe, hike, bird watch,
snowmobile, ORV or just want to get outside. It also provides for the
sustainable harvest of high quality timber and the extraction of
minerals. This was made possible because respect for nature was the
priority and biodiversity was a vital management goal that kept the
forest ecosystem healthy and vibrant.

Now, times have changed. Our re-born forests are seen as a commodity,
open to the highest bidder. Our public lands have been leased for oil
and gas extraction at unprecedented rates. The new, revised, State
Forest Management Guidelines are focused squarely on logging with few
spots spared. There are no provisions for Old Growth Designation or
Natural Areas. Our pristine waters are being squandered, contaminated
and permanently disposed of in alarming volumes. The oil and gas
industry has found ways to extract the vast reserves of natural gas
lying buried deep beneath our public lands through a process called
fracking. These extractive and industrial scale operations fragment,
pollute and destroy natural habitats and ecosystems. They are not
compatible with the principals or goals of biodiversity. In order for
these exploitations to proceed, biodiversity must be removed as a
management goal. S.B. 78 is a dark traitor to the proud legacy wrought
by those heroes who fought and struggled to reclaim Michigan’s natural
heritage and restore its environmental quality.

But wait! These are public-owned lands, our lands! These are my lands.
These are your lands, our children’s and grandchildren’s lands (and
waters too!).They were set aside and protected for good reasons. Who
gave the OK to turn them over to the oil and gas and timber industries
to exploit for private (even international) profit?

Governor Snyder heralded the advent of these ventures when he proclaimed
that these industries will help lead Michigan out of its recession. The
MDNR has enabled these industries by leasing millions of acres of State
land for oil and gas extraction. The new State Forest Management
Guidelines focus squarely on timber harvest and leave few places
unscathed. MDEQ refuses to adequately regulate fracking and allows the
toxic contamination of millions of gallons of fresh potable groundwater.
Nowhere through the course of these events has the public been honestly
engaged or properly informed by our State’s officials. Instead, these
decisions have been made quietly in closed rooms as witnessed by the
passage of SB 78 or crammed through during a lame duck legislative
blitzkrieg. The groundwork has been laid for the commercialization of
our public assets.

I urge all who read this letter to look into these issues seriously and
soon. Sadly I sense that the general public is too overwhelmed and worn
out to put up much of a fight. The industries have mounted and sustained
a massive and very effective advertising campaign filled with marvelous
half truths. It’s no wonder that people are confused and struggling just
to make ends meet. Jobs and cheap energy sound pretty good right now.
However, we have not been informed of the short and long term costs
associated with these activities.

Removing biodiversity as a goal and management tool of our public lands
will open the floodgates of industrialization and pollution of our most
special places. The scars these activities leave behind may never heal
and they have the potential to pollute our beautiful Great Lakes State
forever. Are we willing to sacrifice our quality of life and that of
future generations for a short term profit most of us will never see?
Restore and sustain biodiversity.

Dr. John W. Richter
President, Friends of the Jordan River Watershed Inc.